Twist

Chapter 58: Destruction

Temptest forced her optics to online again. She barely realized they'd shut down as she tried to overcome the stifling pain. Something broke within her, sending ripples of shock outward from her spark. She looked up at the warlord and the moment their optics met, the fate of their universe finally went back on track.

Optimus stumbled back. "Your optics..."

She stood up, all aliments forgotten. In fact, they glowed the same deep purple that her optics were glowing. Across her entire body, metal shifted and moved, covering her wounds and strengthening her frame. Her fists tightened and raised.

"Optimus," Temptest's voice was multipled by Unicron's. "Today you will rue the day you betrayed me for Megatronus Prime. I will tear you apart with the servos you love most."

Optimus gaped. "How? How!?"

Temptest took two steps forward and punched the false prime, sending him flying back into the room. Normally, she didn't have the physical strength to pull off a feat like that, but with dark energon running through her frame, her strength knew no bounds.

Anger flowed through her like an avalanche. It wasn't just Unicron's anger, it was hers. He was giving her this dark power, granting her the strength to do what she'd never been able to do before, but it was Temptest's will that carried her across the threshold.

She stepped into the room, purple flames billowing around her. They died down as she stopped, staring at Optimus with a sinister expression. The false prime stood his ground, struggling to find some kind of solution to the unforseen problem.

"Temptest," (TFP) Optimus looked up at her from where he'd fallen to the floor not long ago. "You've been possessed by Unicron. You can fight him."

"No," Temptest stated. "I have a job to do."

And with that, she turned her helm, setting her gaze on an age old nemesis she'd sworn to destroy countless times.

"And why shouldn't you?" Unicron demanded. "He has destroyed everything! All of your pain and suffering! He is to blame!"

Temptest knew who Unicron was. The bringer of chaos, destruction, and death. The opposite of Primus. The very evil that brought Autobots and Decepticons together to fight not long ago.

But did that really change anything? Did it change all the hurt Optimus inflicted on her, her family, and her friends? Starscream died on his blade. That was only the most recent death. Thousands of Decepticons fell beneath his pede. The horrors he could and would inflict knew no bounds.

And she wasn't going to let him hurt anyone ever again.

"Ever," Temptest snarled before running forward.

Optimus's expression was set with focus. As much as he enjoyed Temptest's violent temper, he knew the strength of Unicron was a powerful force. When he helped Megatronus put Unicron to sleep, he'd felt that same influence. With dark energon running through his veins, he felt unstoppable... then when he resisted the god's will, Unicron tried to force him to kill Megatronus. He couldn't stop himself and he'd fought with all his might. He didn't want to be controlled.

But Temptest didn't care.

Temptest's knife swung down to his helm and Optimus quickly blocked, raising his sword up to stop her. The blades collided and Optimus pushed back by instinct. He knew how Temptest fought and usually he could overpower her with a move like that. Instead, his sword cracked under the pressure and silver sliced down from above.

He jumped back, barely avoiding the deadly blow. She was unstoppable like this.

Temptest moved forward, optics glowing with something more than hatred. It was deep and animalistic, something that spawned from the darkest corners of her spark. A sleeping monster had finally woke up in her and it was hungry for blood.